25 Feb 2013

Tutorial - Feather Nails!

Happy Monday everybody! Did you all have a nice weekend? Mine was pretty crazy! On Saturday I had an all-day interview, and on Sunday we got a pretty decent snowstorm! It snowed all day, and it’s sunny today but then it’s supposed to snow again tomorrow. Oh Colorado weather, you’re so crazy. <3

I’ve got another fun tutorial for you readers this week, and hopefully it won’t ruffle your feathers (Oh man that pun hurt to type):

Feather Nails!

Step 1: Supplies! For this manicure, you will need:

Clear base and top coat

A base nail polish color of your choosing

Feathers

Tweezers

Cuticle trimmers OR small manicure scissor (basically something sharp to trim the feathers as close to the nail as possible)

For my manicure, I used a really cool bright green polish I got from my sister-in-law as the base color, and small brown & black feathers I got from Michael’s. You can find feathers at any craft store, or online. :)

Step 2: Paint it! After cleaning and buffing your nails in the manner you like, paint on the clear base coat. Once that dries, paint on your base color.

Step 3: Patience! For this manicure, we want the base color to be completely dry. That way, when we’re putting on the feathers, the color won’t get smudged and ruined. So put on your favorite TV show and relax! (I chose to watch Doctor Who <3)

[Side note: Just like the Velvet Nails, do steps 4-6 one nail at a time, because the clear coats have to be tacky when you move to put the feather on.]

Step 4: Get your feather ready! Take one of you feathers and lay it against your nail to see how much you need to trim it.

After measuring, cut the feather to the length it needs to be.

If it ends up being a bit longer than your nail when you stick it on, that’s okay. We’ll be trimming it in step 5. :)

I recommend painting about 2 coats, so that the polish it nice and sticky for the feather to adhere to. Right after you paint on the clear base, use the tweezers to pick up your feather, and lay it down on the nail. Use the tweezers to press down each part of the feather, ensuring that it sticks to the nail completely.

[Thanks to my hubby for helping with these pictures!]

After the feather is solidly stuck to the nail, take your cuticle trimmers or small scissors and trim the feather as closely to the nail as possible.

Step 6: Seal it! Once the feather is stuck to the nail, take your clear top coat and paint over the nail. I recommend doing a few coats, so that the feather is completely sealed in and doesn’t run the risk of coming off the nail prematurely.

Step 7: Clean it up! Repeat steps 4-6 with your other nails, clean up the edges and you’re done! I love this mani because you can do it with any color polish and feathers you like, so you can get some really cool looking combinations! You can also orient your feathers multiple ways, with the tip facing the nail bed, the nail tip, or even going diagonally across your nail. I hope you all have fun doing this manicure, and send me some pics of those lovely nails!